Postage-stamp or envelop moistener.



Nd. 771,735. I I PATENTED OCT. 4, 1904. G. W. & I. P. KIMBALL.

POSTAGE STAMP OR ENVELOP MOISTENER.

APPLIOATION FILED FEB. 29, 1904.

N0 MODEL.

Igxegicrs.

UNITED STATES Patented October 4:, 1904.

PATENT ()FFICE.

CHARLES IVARREN KIMBALL, OF PENN YAN, AND IRIVIN PAINE KIMBALL,

. OF AUBURN, NEIV YORK.

POSTAGE- STAMP OR ENVELOP MOISTENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 771,735, dated October4, 1904. Application filed February 29, 1904. Serial No. 195,925. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that \ve,CHARLEs WARREN KIM- BALL, residing at Penn Yan, inthe county of Yates, and IRWIN PAINE KIMBALL, residing at Auburn, in'thecounty of Cayuga, State of New York, citizens of the United States, haveinvented a new and useful Postage-Stamp or Envelop Moistener, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in devices for moistening thegummed surfaces of stamps, envelops, and the like.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a device of simple,neat, and economical construction which may be carried in the pocket orused as a desk equipment for the moistening of envelope and stamps witha view of lessening infection from contact of the tongue with the moreor less contaminated gum.

With this and other objects in view, as will more fully hereinafterappear, the invention consists in the novel construction and arrangementof parts hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claim, it beingunderstood that various changes in the form, proportions, size, andminor details of the structure may be made without departing from thespirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a detail sectional elevationof a moistener constructed in accordance with theinvention. Fig. 2 is anelevation of the same. Figs. 3 and 4 are detail perspective views ofportions of the moistener more particularly referred to hereinafter.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate correspondingparts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

The moistener is divided into three main sections, including a reservoir1, a spongecontaining chamber 2, and a cap 3, 'all of which may bereadily detached from each other, but the joints being air and liquidproof in order to prevent the escape of water.

The water-reservoir 1 is partly closed at one end by aninwardly-extendingannular flange 4E,

forming a comparatively restricted orifice for 5 the passage of water tothe sponge-containing chamber, and from the flange toward the oppositeend of the reservoir the diameter of such reservoir is reduced for aportion of its length in order to receive the Sponge-containing chamber2, the latter being tubular in form and of an external diameter equal tothe largest diameter of the water-reservoir.

At one end of the sponge-containing chamber is an inwardly-extending annular flange 5,

which grips the sponge and serves to retain the same in proper position,so that the protruding end of the sponge 6 may be wiped over the gummedsurface to be moistened without danger of forcing the sponge back 5 intothe casing. The absorbent material 6, while preferably sponge, may be ofany suitable textile or other material capable of absorbing moisture,and such absorbent material extends, preferably, for the full length of7 the compartment or chamber 2, and its end slightly protrudes into thereservoir, so that the moisture will be drawn therefrom by capillaryattraction.

A portion of the sponge-containing chamber is reduced in diameter toreceive the close-fitting cap 3, which is also of external diameteruniform with that of the reservoir and spongecasing. For convenience theend of the cap is provided with small air-hole 7, through which the airmay escape while the cap is being placed in position, and thus byavoiding compression of air render it easier to place the cap inposition .or to remove it.

The joints whichconnect the several parts 5 are all closely-fitting, soas to prevent the escape of any fluid, and the moistener therefore maybe conveniently carried in the pocket without danger of the leakage ofthe water.

For convenience the cap may be provided with 9 a milled or knurled ring,as indicated at 8, in order to permit the ready removal of the cap.

With a device of this character envelops, stamps, and other gum-coatedsurfaces may be quickly and thoroughly moistened, and thus avoid dangerof infection from disease-germs from the accumulation of bacteria andother micro-organisms on the gul'nmed surfaces of stamps, envelops, andthe like.

Having thus described the invention, is claimed is- The combination in amoistening device, of a three-part casing, of which all of the parts areof uniform diameter and comprising a reservoir, an absorbent-carrier,and a cap, the reservoir being tubular in form and having a reduced endportion provided with an inturned flange forming a contractedfilling-opening, the tubular absorbent-carrier fitting telescopicallyover the reservoir member and provided at one end with an inturnedflange, the two flanges serving as supports for an absorbent Whatthrough which the fluid of the reservoir is conducted to the flanged endof the carrier, and said cap-piece fitting telescopically over theflanged end of the carrier, substantially as specified.

in testimony that We claim the foregoing as our own We have heretoaifixed our signatures in the presence of two Witnesses.

CHARLES WARREN KIMBALL. IRWIN PAINE KIMBALL. Witnesses as to CharlesWarren Kimball:

M. F. HOBART, PENY W. DANEs, \Vitnesses as to Irwin Paine Kimball:

W. C. BEATTY, R. MOOLENATHEN.

